The Obama administration said Monday it is suspending existing agreements with Arizona police over enforcement of federal immigration laws, and said it has issued a directive telling federal authorities to decline many of the calls reporting illegal immigrants that the Homeland Security Department may get from Arizona police.

Administration officials, speaking on condition they not be named, told reporters they expect to see an increase in the number of calls they get from Arizona police — but that won’t change President Obama’s decision to limit whom the government actually tries to detain and deport.

“We will not be issuing detainers on individuals unless they clearly meet our defined priorities,” one official said in a telephone briefing.

The official said that despite the increased number of calls, which presumably means more illegal immigrants being reported, the Homeland Security Department is unlikely to detain a significantly higher number of people and won’t be boosting personnel to handle the new calls.

“We do not plan on putting additional staff on the ground in Arizona,” the official said.

The Supreme Court ruled Monday that Arizona may not impose its own penalties for immigration violations, but it said state and local police could check the legal status of those they have reasonable suspicion to believe are in the country illegally.

That means police statewide can immediately begin calling to check immigration status — but federal officials are likely to reject most of those calls.

Federal officials said they’ll still perform the checks as required by law but will respond only when someone has a felony conviction on his or her record. Absent that, ICE will tell the local police to release the person.

Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer said the court’s decision frees police up to perform immigration checks. In anticipation of the ruling, she issued an executive order calling for guidance to be issued to every police department on how to fairly carry out the law.

“We will move forward, instructing law enforcement to begin practicing what the United States Supreme Court has upheld,” she said.

But the Obama administration is under pressure from immigrant-rights groups to cut down on the number of people it is deporting and has taken a number of steps to try to limit deportations of rank-and-file illegal immigrants and focus instead on those with criminal records or repeated immigration violations.

Last week, Mr. Obama said he would halt deportations for most illegal immigrants under 30 who were brought here as children.

On Monday the administration officials also said they are ending the seven 287(g) task force agreements with Arizona law enforcement officials, which proactively had granted some local police the powers to enforce immigration laws.

The task forces, named for the section of law that allows them, have proved popular among many localities but have been a political headache for the Obama administration, with immigrant-rights groups saying they led to abuses.

On Monday the administration officials said they had concluded the seven agreements they had signed with various departments in Arizona weren’t working and took the Supreme Court’s ruling as a chance to scrap them.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/jun/25/homeland-security-suspends-immigration-agreements-/

Chuck58

06-25-2012, 04:17 PM

This is pure vindictiveness, like every reaction this administration has when it doesn't get its way.

If I was Arizona, I'd collect a fleet of old, retired school buses and, as illegals are caught, every week or month load the buses up, drive them to the border and send the illegals across.

It's really getting to the point that, if there is ever a move for secession again, I can envision Arizona leading the way. They're about the most attacked state in the Union - by the Federal government - for standing up for their rights and protecting their citizens.

Apache

06-25-2012, 04:50 PM

How many more people are going to be victimized, maimed and killed because of this adminstration's inaction enforcing immigration?

As for Chuck's suggestion... That's one of the parts struck down. Arizona cannot deport. :livid:

Chuck58

06-25-2012, 05:08 PM

How many more people are going to be victimized, maimed and killed because of this adminstration's inaction enforcing immigration?

As for Chuck's suggestion... That's one of the parts struck down. Arizona cannot deport. :livid:

Yep, you're right. Just saw that. For the illegals who have stayed in the state, unless I'm misreading everything, Arizona is at the mercy of the Feds as to whether they're gotten rid of, or just turned loose.

I think I'd still load them up and take them to the border. Not deport them, just dump them there and let them decide what they want to do. I suppose the Feds would file suit on Arizona for kidnapping, though.

Apache

06-25-2012, 05:55 PM

Yep, you're right. Just saw that. For the illegals who have stayed in the state, unless I'm misreading everything, Arizona is at the mercy of the Feds as to whether they're gotten rid of, or just turned loose.

I think I'd still load them up and take them to the border. Not deport them, just dump them there and let them decide what they want to do. I suppose the Feds would file suit on Arizona for kidnapping, though.

I have a feeling that there will be running battles now in Phoenix and elsewhere. Coyotes and drug-runners have just been given the green light to do whatever they want to. I hope the Az. LEOs shoot to kill...

Retread

06-25-2012, 08:13 PM

Bus'm to the front door of the WH and dump'm.

Elspeth

06-25-2012, 09:25 PM

I have a feeling that there will be running battles now in Phoenix and elsewhere. Coyotes and drug-runners have just been given the green light to do whatever they want to.

You see connections with Fast and Furious here?

JB

06-25-2012, 09:38 PM

So Barry is taking his ball and going home. Not surprised. Standard reaction of all crybabys.

JB

06-25-2012, 09:39 PM

If I was Arizona...detain them indefinitely until the feds answer the phone.

Apache

06-25-2012, 10:15 PM

You see connections with Fast and Furious here?

Not so much that as they now know they won't be deported...

I hope I'm wrong, my experience and my gut tell me I'm not. I just wonder what the "acceptable" bodycount will be...

txradioguy

06-26-2012, 03:42 AM

So the SCOTUS rules that only the Feds have authority to set immigration laws...then the Feds say they aren't going to enforce their own laws and tell Arizona to F off?

What has happened...what we are seeing is implementation of the DREAM Act not by Congressional vote...but by dictatorial fiat.

MrsSmith

06-26-2012, 07:51 AM

So the SCOTUS rules that only the Feds have authority to set immigration laws...then the Feds say they aren't going to enforce their own laws and tell Arizona to F off?

What has happened...what we are seeing is implementation of the DREAM Act not by Congressional vote...but by dictatorial fiat.

Obama is the President...he don't have to follow no stinkin' laws!! :smilie_wall::smilie_wall:

txradioguy

06-26-2012, 09:14 AM

Obama is the President...he don't have to follow no stinkin' laws!! :smilie_wall::smilie_wall: